Battery terminal tool



Nov. 5, 1935. I J, 5. FISCHER 2,020,052

\ BATTERY TERMINAL TOOL Filed June 28, 1955 lNVENTOR John S.F'1scher,

Patented Nov. 5, 1935 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 0 3 Claims.

.This invention relates to battery terminal wrenches or tools, and ithas particular relation to a 50001 for removing terminal clamps from abattery.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved type of tool orwrench which insures uniform .and positive pressure in drawing a batteryterminal from a battery post.

Another object of the invention is to provide an .improved and.simplified tool structure which is rugged and double-acting in itsclamping and clamp forcing operation when manipulated to withdraw aterminal clamp from a battery post.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cammingarrangement for operating the clamping and terminal forcing elements ofthe tool.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tool embodying the invention;

Fig. 2is a fragmentary view, on a larger scale, partially in verticalsection and partially in elevation, and illustrating the principalfeatures of the tool;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken substantially along the line III-III ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the tool; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a plunger element included in the structureof the tool.

Referring to the drawing, a tool I0 in which the invention is embodiedcomprises the body I2 of substantially shell-form and it can be composedof sheet metal material rolled to provide a channel-like handle I5 and ahousing or bearing head I6. An extension I! formed rigidly upon the headhas an oif-set intermediate portion I8 and an end finger I9 turned atsubstantially right angles to the handle. The extremity of the finger isprovided with a concave portion 29 (Fig. 4).

A sleeve 22 is secured substantially coaxially inside the head I6 andslidably receives a plunger 23 that normally has its outer endsubstantially flush with the outer end of the sleeve and head assembly.One side of the plunger is formed with a groove 25 therein for receivinga coiled tension spring 26 that has one of its ends connected, asindicated at 21, to the plunger in the groove, and its other end extendsinto a hollow portion 28 of the handle where it is connected, asindicated at 29, to the latter. This coiled spring is tensioned betweenits connected ends and it constantly tends to draw the plunger inwardlyinto the sleeve 22.

A handle lever 30 having a pivotal support 32 is carried by lugs 33formed as a part of the body of sheet metal of the handle I5, and thehandle lever is formed with a cam extension 35 that engages in a slot 36provided at the inner end of the plunger 23. The end of the camextension is sufiiciently narrow to enter the inner end of the sleeve22.

A cam finger 31 extends integrally from the end portion of the lever 30and at an angle to the cam extension 35. The outer end of the cam finger31 engages a cam arm 38 of a clamping lever 39 and an intermediateportion of the latter is pivoted upon a pin 59 that is mounted in lugs42 formed integrally upon one side of the head I5. The cam arm 38extends outwardly at an angle to the head IS. A hook or claw 4Bconstituting the longer extension of the lever 39 has its end portion 48disposed oppositely from the concave end of the finger I9 and itsintermediate portion is bowed outwardly.

The levers 30 and 39 are provided with a coiled tension spring 50normally under tension and having its opposite ends secured, asindicated at 52 and 53, to intermediate portions of the levers. Thisspring, together with the spring 26, tends to pivot the levers 30 and 46outwardly or to an open position.

This construction of tool is particularly adapted to be employed as abattery terminal wrench and is adapted to be disposed upon a batteryclamp 55 in such manner that the finger I9 engages beneath one of thelower edge portions of the clamp at one side of a battery post 56 of abattery 58, and the hook 48 engages beneath the lower edge portion ofthe battery clamp 55 on the opposite side of the battery post. If theterminal clamp happens to be close to the top surface of the battery thefingers I9 and 48 can be wedged beneath the terminal edges in startingthe removing action. In this position the outer end of the plunger 23contacts the top of the battery post 56 and in response to the closingof the handle I5 and lever 30 or moving them toward each other, the camextension 35 presses the plunger 23 which is forced outwardly againstthe upper end of post 56, thus drawing the terminal clamp 55 upwardlyaway from the terminal post.

The leverage between the cam finger 31 and the lever 39 is such thatvery slight movement of the cam arm 38 provides for considerablemovement of the hook 48. Hence, at the beginning of the closing actionof the handle I5 and lever 30 of the tool, the hook 48 is immediatelyforced against or closely adjacent the side of the post 56 and continuedpivotal movement of the handle lever 39 withdraws the terminal clamp 55.The contours of the engaging surfaces of the finger 31 and the camfinger 38 are such that, after the initial movement of the hook 48 uponthe side of the battery post, the cam surfaces nearly bear against eachother without causing further pivotal movement toward the terminal post.Therefore, there is positive holding of the terminal clamp to prevent itfrom slipping from the end of the tool.

It will be observed that the outwardly off-set portion I8 of the headextension and the outwardly bowed portion of the hook 46 providesconsiderable space between them within which the terminal clamp can belocated in applying the tool thereto preparatory to operating thelevers.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described indetail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that theinvention is not so limited but that various changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theintended claims.

I claim:

1. A tool comprising a body having an outwardly movable member therein,a lever connected to the body and having a portion normally movabletoward said member, a clamping element pivoted to the body and having aportion operatively engaging the lever, said memmounted upon the body ofher and clamping element having means cooperating with the lever forforcing the member outwardly and operating the clamping member uponoperation of the lever.

2. The tool comprising a body having an outwardly movable plungermounted therein, clamping members on the body disposed outwardly fromthe plunger, one clamping member having a pivotal connection to thebody, and a lever the tool, said lever having cam surfaces operativelyengaging thelatter member and the plunger to move the plunger toward theclamping region of the members and to cause clamping action of thelatter.

3. A tool comprising a lever having a pair of 15 cam projections at oneend portion thereof, a support pivotally connected to the lever adjacentthe cam projections, an outwardly movable member normally contacting onecam projection and operable outwardly in response to movement of thelever, a pair of jaws carried by the support for engaging a batteryterminal clamp, one of said jaws being movable substantiallytransversely of the path of movement of said movable member and havingoperative contact with the other cam projection whereby operation of thelever causes movement of one jaw toward the other and movement of saidmovable member toward the engaging region of the jaws.

JOHN S. FISCHER.

